★★★★ Pulling off a movie set almost entirely in one location with the majority of scenes focusing on a single character is no easy feat. Japanese import #Manhole somehow accomplishes the impossible, trapping its lead character at the bottom of a sleazy tunnel teeming with dead animal foam, icky cobwebs, and a decaying ladder. Director … Continue reading Fantasia 2023: #Manhole
Fantasia 2023: Aporia
★★★★ This year, Judy Greer is truly having a moment. The legendary actress, who has starred in everything from Darren Stein’s quirky Jawbreaker to last year’s vastly underrated Reboot, wowed recently with her heartbreaking performance in Tribeca’s Eric LaRue. Now, Greer headlines sci-fi drama Aporia, from writer/director Jared Moshe. A script rich with moral quandaries … Continue reading Fantasia 2023: Aporia
Fantasia 2023: The Primevals
★★★★ Emerging out of its seemingly permanent slumber, Full Moon’s magnum opus (watch out, Puppet Master!) finally arrives nearly three decades after its initial production timeline. Taking some obvious inspiration from projects including Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, and The Land of the Lost, The Primevals captures a similar lightning-in-a-bottle energy. Initially filmed in 1994, the … Continue reading Fantasia 2023: The Primevals
Film Review: Sympathy for the Devil
★★★★ Nicolas Cage somehow delivers one of his most unhinged performances yet while keeping it grounded in the grittiness of the movie, opposite an electric Joel Kinnaman, in Yuval Adler’s demented road trip horror/thriller, Sympathy for the Devil. This twisted little treat should give genre fans everything they want and more from one of cinema’s … Continue reading Film Review: Sympathy for the Devil
Fantasia 2023: The First Slam Dunk
★★★★ Come sports fans, come animation buffs, come consumers of impeccably-crafted dramas! Eye-popping, stunningly-realized animation is becoming all the rage lately, and Japanese import The First Slam Dunk, based upon the popular 90s manga and anime series, arrives at the festival to continue this trend. For what essentially boils down to one feature-length basketball match, … Continue reading Fantasia 2023: The First Slam Dunk
Film Review: Dark Glasses
★★★★ Known for popularizing the giallo slasher, legendary director Dario Argento returns to the horror fray for the first time in a decade, since 2012’s Dracula 3D. His comeback film is a loving tribute to the earliest days of his career—this translates to substantial, gory kills, a propulsive orchestral score from Arnaud Rebotini, and a … Continue reading Film Review: Dark Glasses
Fantasia International Film Festival 2022 Wrap-Up
Another year, another fascinating selection of films from Fantasia International Film Festival! For 2022's edition of the fest, animation and horror reign supreme with a variety of intriguing titles. After the jump, check out our full coverage! Films BODIES BODIES BODIES Full review at the link. THE BREACH Based on the Audible original book by … Continue reading Fantasia International Film Festival 2022 Wrap-Up
Fantasia 2022: Bodies Bodies Bodies
★★★★★ Here’s a fun equation: A24 + modern horror whodunnit + meta dark humor = ? The answer is a frolicking mini-masterpiece entitled Bodies Bodies Bodies, after the titular sinister game our players participate in. Written by Sarah DeLappe and directed by Halina Reijn, the film has a fiercely feminine touch that redefines the tired … Continue reading Fantasia 2022: Bodies Bodies Bodies
Fantasia 2022: Sadako DX
★★★★ Attempting to follow the chronology of The Ring films is actually more difficult than one would expect; while the American iterations have a total of three films, back in its native Japan, Ringu has been thriving for years. Sequels for this series range well into the double digits. This latest, appropriately titled Sadako DX … Continue reading Fantasia 2022: Sadako DX
Fantasia 2022: My Grandfather’s Demons
★★★★ My Grandfather’s Demons is perhaps the most gorgeously animated movie of this year’s Fantasia Film Festival. This stop-motion import from Portugal has more heart and originality than I had been anticipating, driven home by the stunning imagery and excellent writing at the heart of the film. Blending rich folklore with the ties of familial … Continue reading Fantasia 2022: My Grandfather’s Demons